Lobby for Jewish values passes out fliers against hotels, restaurants putting up Christmas trees, other Christian symbols ahead of civil New Year, say businesses who do so risk losing kosher certification

Ari Galhar

A new front for religious battles: Hotels and restaurants

The “Lobby for Jewish values” this week began operating against restaurants and hotels that plan to put up Christmas trees and other Christian symbols ahead of Christmas and the civil New Year.

According to the lobby’s Chairman, Ofer Cohen, they have received backing by the rabbis, “and we are even considering publishing the names of the businesses that put up Christian symbols ahead of the Christian holiday and call for a boycott against them.”

Fliers and ads distributed among the public read, “The people of Israel have given their soul over the years in order to maintain the values of the Torah of Israel and the Jewish identity.

“You should also continue to follow this path of the Jewish people’s tradition and not give in to the clownish atmosphere of the end of the civil year. And certainly not help those businesses that sell or put up the foolish symbols of Christianity.”

The Jerusalem Rabbinate also works each year to ensure restaurants and hotels receiving kosher certification from the Jerusalem Religious Council do not put up Christian symbols.

According to a senior official in the kashrut department, this is done each year consensually, but that businesses which do not meet this requirement may find their kashrut certificate revoked.

It should be noted that most of the hotels in Jerusalem and a significant part of the restaurants in the capital receive permanent kosher certification from the city’s religious council.

Considering that there is a significant Christian caucus that is staunchly pro-Israel and whose members even put their money where their mouths are, it would appear that, were these Christians ever to visit that troubled country around this time of the year, they would be disappointed, encountering absolutely no concessions to their faith. Sadly, these Christians, being wet and limp-wristed, meekly take any amount of scorn or abuse without a word of complaint; they are too scared to offend anyone. I do not respect them at all. Being, as they are, enthusiastic champions of multiculturalism, I would respect them somewhat if they demonstrated the courage of their convictions by demanding, vociferously and with righteous anger, tolerance and diversity in the Jewish state – including the right for hotels and restaurants to display Christmas trees, if they so wish, without threats or sanctions.

Come to think of it, however, I think the Jewish lobby has an excellent initiative that the West should emulate. The Christmas tree is important, even if one is not a Christian, as it has its roots in Germanic and Roman paganism. Hotels and restaurants that fail to display Christmas trees should be punished with a withholding of custom, accompanied by naming and shaming, of which they should be made aware. What we are lacking is the equivalent of the Jewish kosher certification. It seems a shame that we have not developed an authochtonous völkisch certification: one that is prestigious and requires exacting criteria, rigorous standards, periodic inspections, and annual fees; and which entails the right to display proudly a badge or seal that indicates to users of the business’ goods and services that these are a) of excellent quality, and b) actively contributing to the continuance and advancement of traditional European culture and values. If such a certification existed (I can dream), the threat of revocation, and the shame and vituperation that would ideally follow, would be an added weapon in the arsenal of opprobrium against businesses that suddenly developed socially and culturally obnoxious practices.